REDSKINS PLAYERS COOLING TO ZORN

Posted by Mike Florio on December 11, 2008, 8:34 AM EDT

As if the recent outburst from running back Clinton Portis wasn’t enough to suggest that something is amiss with the Redskins, we’ve been told that multiple players are developing a sour taste in their mouths regarding the team’s first-year head coach, Jim Zorn.
Per a league source, the players perceive an attitude from Zorn that, when the team wins a game, it’s because of Zorn. And that when they lose a game, it’s because of the players.
The sense is that Zorn views himself as an elite coach after less than a year on the job — and despite a dramatic dip in the team’s performance after an unexpectedly strong start that had owner Dan Snyder whooping it up after back-to-back road wins against the Cowboys and the Eagles.
Where this leads, we’re not yet sure. When Zorn was hired, there was a sense that he possibly would be a one-year stop-gap until Snyder could lure Bill Cowher to town. (Indeed, Cowher has since confirmed that he was contacted by the Redskins in January.) After the ‘Skins began to soar under Zorn, however, the notion that he’d be a short-timer dissipated significantly.
But now that the team is at 7-6 and in last place in the NFC East, anything short of running the table and qualifying for the postseason could result in a major shake-up in D.C.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Snyder pulled the plug after only one year. He did it to Marty Schottenheimer following the 2001 season, which given Schottenheimer’s strong relationship with Cowher could make Cowher reluctant to do business with the organization.

24 responses to “REDSKINS PLAYERS COOLING TO ZORN”

Snider needs to learn a lesson from the Giants. They supported Coughlin in the face of mounting criticism, and look what happened; the players played hard for their jobs and they won the Superbowl. Even more importantly they have built a solid winning system there.

Synder is running this team in the ground. And everyone talks about Jerry Jones as being a tyrant. JJ does it in the eyes of the media, but Synder is just plain cancer to tis organization. Let the coach do his job and let the players do theirs.

inmymind,
I agree to a certain extent but the circumstances are totally different in Washington than they were in NY. Coughlin had already been a Head coach and had some level of success. The players were criticizing him over dumb stuff like “practice is too hard” or “if we are not at meetings 5 mins before they start, then we are late”. In this locker room they basically feel like the coach is arrogant already. As least Coughlin wanted them to just work hard and he pushed them and they finally bought in. This guy has nothing to by in to. They will end up like 8-8 or something.

Ahhh but ya can’t really rely on the Schottenheimer stint as a true barometer of how Snyder will react. He was willing to give Spurrier more time even after the 2 year “debacle” (thanks Emmitt) and that made the High School offense run under Schotty -that opposing defenses were calling out the plays before each down on- look revolutionary. Furthermore Schottenheimer didn’t get canned until he refused to budge on Jimmy Raye and his horrible worst I’ve ever seen offense and Tony Banks who I quote Schotty as saying “there’s no need for a change at QB we’ll be fine with Tony as our starter next year”.
Sorry but Schotty fired himself on that one, that’s arrogance without rival and even an owner as clueless as Snyder was at the time was 100% correct in letting Schotty go.
Zorn’s not going anywhere this offseason. He’s a rookie HC, he’ll get cut some slack and he’ll also learn from this. He’s cocky no doubt but he also learns well and listens to his peers and players. If they’re all saying his M.O. at PC’s needs to change then I’d bet my next paycheck it does.

Honestly, where does this come from? If you specified your sources, that would give this nonsense thread some merit. Everyone loves to bash a team when it is down and I factor this thread as part of that.

Zorn is a Cerrato hire, and he’ll get a few years to develop Campbell and this offense. Even if the players are on the cusp of mutiny, Cerrato is on a bull-headed campaign to prove his critics wrong. (See also: keeping all 10 draft picks even though 9 of them suck, broadcasting a radio show, etc.).

I like Zorn and what he’s doing with this team. That said, they do have problems (mostly o-line/portis being injured). I think given time, Zorn could be great, but they aren’t a team loaded with talent.
BTW, they are 7-6. That’s not a bad record at all, especially for a rookie coach.

cowher ain’t gonna work for nutjob egomaniacal idiot like snyder or jones. it will have to be a hands off owner like a rooney, lerner or some such. and the redskin’s job is quickly becoming a raiders, cowboys type job. an impossible job considering the mettling owner who thinks they are football geniuses.